


need someone to hold you tight

by wvlfqveen



Series: riverdale hogwarts au [3]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Boys with feelings, Established Betty/Veronica, Implied/Referenced Statutory Rape, M/M, professor grundy is gross and i get REVENGE
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-14
Updated: 2017-08-14
Packaged: 2018-12-15 07:19:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11801160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wvlfqveen/pseuds/wvlfqveen
Summary: Kevin helps in the quest to get Grundy fired and get Archie and Jughead to talk.Also he's in love with Joaquin. All in a day's work, right?





	need someone to hold you tight

**Author's Note:**

> i am sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo so sorry for the terribly long wait but *gestures vaguely* life. 
> 
> SO this is a mainly kevin/joaquin piece altho it's also heavily archie/jughead. it's all from kevin's pov. i hope i did everyone's character justice and grundy's punishment is as satisfying to you as it was to me while writing it! thanks for your everlasting patience! love u guys xx
> 
> P.S: this is set BEFORE betty's coming out but i dont know how to change the order now lmao oops. sorry for any confusion!
> 
> EDIT: FOUND HOW TO REORDER THE SERIES lmao so enjoy properly xx

“ _ Forsythe Pendleton Jones the Third _ , did you really think I wasn’t going to get you sooner or later?,” 

Kevin sighs and flops down on Betty’s “bed”. They had managed to catch Jughead while he was lurking in the haunted bathroom above the Great Hall. It’s only thanks to Betty’s anger (an unstoppable force) that they managed to drag him up to the Room of Requirement at all. And apparently, in her anger, Betty’s room was the one place she could think of.

“Uh,” Jughead says, leaning against Betty’s desk. “Yes?”

Betty’s eyes narrow. Ever since she and Veronica became official, she has been trying to get Archie and Jughead to talk  _ obsessively.  _

It’s almost the end of November now, which makes Betty’s anger all that more justifiable. 

“You and Archie are being absolutely ridiculous,” Betty declares. “You especially.”

Jughead scoffs. “Me?”

Betty juts a finger out at him. “Your best friend went through something that is called “statutory  _ rape _ ” in case you forgot. He feels  _ awful  _ and that predatory hag acts like nothing happened. He needs his friend!”

“You didn’t  _ see  _ him!,” Jughead seethes, pushing off from the desk. 

“Merlin,” Kevin whispers, knowing what’s coming next.

Betty doesn’t disappoint. She makes a sound between a yell and a bat screech. “Are you really  _ blaming  _ Archie for this? Grundy is an adult and a professor! She shouldn’t have offered a fucking “ride”,” Kevin can practically see the air quotes even though Betty’s hands are curled into fists, “to Archie in the first place! If you could take your head out of your own arse for a minute and consider that and just  _ see  _ how awful Archie feels, then you’d understand that!,” she roars, chest heaving. 

Jughead stares at her silently for a moment. Kevin wishes Betty’s window could actually open. He’d gladly jump to safety. 

“Archie still blames himself for what happened,” Betty says, only slightly calmer now. “But you know what he feels the most horrible about? Letting  _ you  _ down.”

Jughead sits back down at the desk. Kevin doesn’t really blame him.

“I’m tired of both of you dancing around each other when it’s only making you more miserable.”

“We were going to go flying,” Jughead says finally. He looks exhausted. “And when he didn’t show up, I went to his house. We arrived roughly at the same time.”

He looks at Kevin and then Betty. “He was just getting out of the car when I arrived. I hid behind his fence and peeped through the gap. He had  _ hickeys  _ on his neck.”

“At first I was angry that he had just stood me up for a hookup but then  _ she, _ ” he spits “leaned forward to close his door and tell him something, and I just saw  _ red _ .”

“I know,” Betty says softly. “I saw red when he told me, too. But we have to stand by him, Jug. He’s our  _ friend _ .”

“And we need to do something about Grundy,” Kevin adds. They both turn to look at him.

Jughead’s jaw clenches for a moment. “You’re right. I can’t stand the fact that she’s still here. I can hardly stand to go to her classes on most days.”

“I know,” Betty says grimly. She and Kevin still glare at the clueless professor every time they have Charms. Kevin is surprised she has not confronted them about it but maybe…

“Do you think she suspects?,” Kevin asks, sitting up.

“Suspects what?,” Betty asks.

“That we know. I mean we haven’t been exactly hiding our feelings towards her, and the whole school knows Archie is our friend. We’ve been glaring at her since September and she has not said anything. What if she’s scared we’ll say something?”

Jughead’s eyes glint. “Maybe. Maybe we can use that fear to our advantage.”

Betty looks at him carefully. “How?”

Jughead smiles. It’s not a very pleasant expression. “How do you feel about blackmail?”

* * *

 

“Remind me why I’m doing this again?”

Kevin sighs. He and Joaquin are in a hidden corridor two floors down from Professor Grundy’s office, concealed from the outside world by a tapestry.  It’s very late, way past curfew, which would have felt more illicit to the Kevin of the months before the start of sixth year. Past Kevin would have certainly be more concerned with the possibility of being caught by a Prefect, Head Student, Professor or -Merlin forbid- the Headmaster. But all he can think of right now, with the small, remaining logical part of the brain, is the plan.

The other part thinks Joaquin looks really good in the black sweater he’s wearing.

Joaquin must see it in his face because he grins and takes a step forward. 

“ _ No _ ,” Kevin says and he tries to make it sound firm but it comes out like a whine. Joaquin presses forward until Kevin has no choice but to back up into the wall. Joaquin puts his hands against the wall on either side of Kevin’s head. They’re so close their chests are almost touching and a little more and their hips-

“Joaquin, no,” he says more firmly. “This has to be done first.”

Joaquin tilts his head and smirks. Kevin tries not to sigh out loud again. “And  _ then  _ we can make out against a wall?”

Kevin flushes but drops his hand down until he can cup Joaquin through the tight, black Muggle jeans he’s wearing. The jolt he gives is supremely satisfying. 

Kevin grins cheekily. “We can do more than that,” he promises. “Later.”

Joaquin groans and steps away from him. Kevin mourns the loss of the heat of his body for a moment. 

“I wish it wasn’t such a turn on when you got this authoritative.”

Kevin grins again. 

***

The plan is very much Slytherin, in Kevin’s Ravenclaw-biased opinion, but it’s the best they have and Kevin can admit that he’s been feeling petty enough for it. 

It’s also very simple; blackmail, as Jughead had said.

They had employed one of Jellybean’s (Jughead’s sister) friends for it, a tiny, mousy, first-year boy that Kevin would have never noticed if he hadn’t been pointed out to him, which was exactly the point. The friend had written the letters containing plain threats of coming out with the truth of what happened in the summer unless Professor Grundy resigned and never came within speaking distance (at least) of Archie ever again, and it was their job (Kevin’s, Joaquin’s, Jughead’s, Betty and Veronica’s) to deliver a letter once a week, or more often depending on Professor Grundy’s reaction.

Kevin had coerced Joaquin into helping him because although Kevin could pick a lock (his father had insisted on teaching him Muggle ways of escaping capture, just in case) or risk detection and break in by magic, Joaquin had by far the most experience sneaking around the castle and breaking into classrooms than anyone he knew, except maybe Jughead. 

When they finally emerge from behind the tapestry, Hogwarts is eerily silent, torchlight bouncing off dark walls, the portraits’ occupants sleeping silently. Kevin follows behind Joaquin silently but with a sense of giddiness threatening to overtake him at any moment and make him giggle. Joaquin sends him a warning look over his shoulder which nearly undos Kevin, and suddenly Joaquin is turning a corner and pushing him against a wall, a firm hand over his mouth. 

Kevin makes a muffled noise of protest but then he freezes, finally hearing what Joaquin has already heard; voices.

A familiar one, in particular. 

“Come on, babe,” Chuck drawls. Kevin can’t help his grimace. Joaquin doesn’t react outwardly, but his displeasure shows clearly in his eyes. Kevin taps his hand, so he lets him go and they stand side by side to peek around the corner.

Chuck is standing close to the staircase, talking closely with -Kevin makes a low disgusted noise at the back of his throat- with a 3rd year girl. And while he knows, they don’t have a huge age difference, 13 and 16 are very different ages. She’s practically a child. A child that looks more uncomfortable with each passing second.

“Isn’t that the motherfucker that was harassing Betty before she and Veronica started dating?,” Joaquin asks. He can see his own disgust mirrored in the clench of his jaw. Kevin feels a vicious stab of pride, and- and something else he really shouldn’t be thinking about. Too dangerous.

“Chuck Clayton,” Kevin confirms. Joaquin hums. They can’t hear any more of their conversation now, but it’s clear that whatever Chuck is doing is not exactly prudent. 

And then Chuck grabs the girl by the waist, and Kevin sees red. 

Joaquin is faster than him, though, and he’s the first to step away from their hiding place. He shoots Kevin a warning look - _ stay back _ \- before he leans against the wall casually and raises his voice.

“And what do we have here?”

Chuck and the girl spring apart. Chuck’s face turns annoyed, that much Kevin can see even from his shadowy vantage point, and the girl looks embarrassed but relieved.

“What do you care, snake? Piss off.”

Joaquin clicks his tongue and steps away from the wall, prowling closer to Chuck. That’s the only word Kevin can think of; prowling. There’s something downright predatory in his hips, the set off his shoulders. 

“To me,” Joaquin says, as if Chuck had never spoken at all, “it looks like you were making a little girl uncomfortable.” Kevin notices the girl steps away from him further and has to slump back against the wall to resist the urge to fly across the hallway and punch Chuck in the face.

“What’s your name, sweetheart?,” Joaquin asks softly. And with terrible certainty, Kevin knows.

He is in love.

“Nyssa,” the girl says after a moment’s pause.

“Why don’t you go back to your dorm, Nyssa?,” Joaquin suggests, voice still soft. Nyssa practically runs down the stairs. 

When Nyssa’s steps can no longer be heard, Joaquin turns back to look at Chuck. Chuck attempts to leave, too, but Joaquin stops him with a silent spell, and he’s suddenly tossed upwards, feet up. 

“What the hell?!,” Chuck exclaims. 

“Now you listen to me, you fucking tosser,” Joaquin says. “If I catch wind of you bothering girls again, your Quidditch career will end before it even gets the chance to start because I can and I  _ will  _ hex your balls off. Am I clear?”

“I’m not scared of-” He makes a choking sound as his ability to speech is impeded. Joaquin tilts his head. 

“You should be,” Joaquin says. “I’m getting you down now and I want you to disappear from my sight as fast as you can.” He lifts the spell and Chuck crashes down in a graceless heap. He gets up, groaning, and stumbles down the stairs. 

Joaquin waits until they can no longer hear Chuck stomping away before he turns to look at Kevin. He raises his eyebrows, amused. 

“You can step away from the wall now,” he assures Kevin. Kevin doesn’t speak. 

Joaquin’s gaze turns concerned. He steps forward until he’s within arm’s reach. “You alright, love?”

Kevin grabs him by his biceps and twists till Joaquin is the one with his back against the wall. Kevin swallows Joaquin’s surprised noise with his mouth. 

Joaquin doesn’t reciprocate and Kevin goes to pull away, but then hands twist in Kevin’s robes, and his mouth opens under Kevin’s.

They pull apart after a minute, an hour, or maybe a day, panting. Kevin leans his forehead against Joaquin’s.

“What happened to the plan?,” Joaquin asks, voice rough. Kevin swallows thickly.

“We can do it later,” he promises, and dives back in.

***

They do, eventually, get to deliver the letter with Kevin acting as the lookout while Joaquin breaks into Professor Grundy’s office and leaves the letter on her desk, so Kevin is not scared to show his face at the next meeting Betty holds in the Room of Requirement. 

“Did you see her  _ face _ ?,” Betty crows happily, flopping onto the sofa. Veronica had thought up the Room this time, and it resembles her huge, expensive living room. Jughead is sitting in front of the coffee table while Kevin and Joaquin share the armchair, Kevin in Joaquin’s lap.

“Good job, guys,” Veronica says, grinning, although she has yet to see the professor. She’s sitting beside Betty, and as Kevin watches, pulls her girlfriend’s head onto her lap. 

“Thanks, Ronnie,” Kevin says. “I’ll cherish that look on her face forever.”

“I wish phones worked in here,” Jughead sighs. “I would have paid to see it.”

“So what’s next?,” Joaquin asks. He sounds casual, but Kevin can feel how tense he is underneath him. He’s new to the gang, and to these meetings, and while he tries to look cool and unaffected, Kevin knows he cares about his friends’ opinions.

Kevin has to tamp down the urge to pinch his cheeks. That wouldn’t go very well.

“We’re next,” Betty says, glancing up at Veronica. “And then you,” she tells Jughead meaningfully.

Jughead’s mouth twists. 

Joaquin taps Kevin’s thigh. He looks confused. 

“Oh, we haven’t told Joaquin,” Kevin reminds the group. Jughead sighs. 

“Betty is implying I have to talk to Archie because I’ve been in love with him since I was five.”

“Basically,” Betty agrees. 

Joaquin raises his eyebrows. “I did not know you swung that way.”

“Well, I don’t  _ swing  _ per se.” When Joaquin looks confused, he elaborates with a sigh. “I don’t feel sexual attraction for anyone, but I do feel romantic attraction. No idea if I like girls though.”

“Because you’ve always liked Archie,” Joaquin states, understanding. Jughead nods.

“Basically.”

“So now what? Are you planning to sneak into the Hufflepuff dorms and talk to him? Ambush him after Quidditch practice? Bring him here?”

Jughead ponders Joaquin’s questions for a moment. “It might be best if we can do it here. More privacy, that way. And we can turn it into familiar ground.”

Betty nods. “We can get him up here easily. You just have to convince him to follow you inside.”

“Not that it’ll take much,” Veronica laughs softly. “He misses you, Jug.”

Jughead looks down. There’s a smile pulling at his mouth, but his eyes when he looks up again are sad. “I miss him, too.”

* * *

 

In the end, luring Archie upstairs is very easy. Kevin and Betty tell him they have news about Professor Grundy, and Archie follows them upstairs no questions asked. 

He freezes when he sees who’s standing in front of the Room of Requirement. There’s already a door waiting so Jughead must have thought something up.

“Arch?,” Betty asks softly. She puts a steadying hand between his shoulder blades. “You okay?”

Archie’s eyes are glued to Jughead, whose face gives nothing away. Kevin almost sighs. Why are boys so emotionally stunted? 

The patriarchy, Veronica would say. 

This is bloody ridiculous, Kevin wants to say. 

“I’m alright,” Archie says faintly. Jughead approaches them slowly, like he’s scared Archie will run away if he rushes.

“Can we talk?,” Jughead asks him hesitantly. “Privately?”

Archie swallows and glances at Betty, then Kevin. They both nod encouragingly. 

“Alright,” Archie agrees, and follows Jughead into the Room of Requirement. 

“Did it work?,” Veronica asks from behind them.

Kevin and Betty jump. “Merlin don’t do that,” Kevin hisses. Joaquin climbs up the stairs a second later. 

“We weren’t sure Archie would feel comfortable with us here so we waited a floor down,” Veronica explains, putting her arm around Betty’s waist. “Do you think they’ll be okay?”

“I hope so,” Betty sighs. “I just wish we could eavesdrop.”

“Bloody Room of Requirement and its magic,” Kevin mutters. “Now what?”

“Now we wait,” Betty says. “Let’s go get food. I’m starving.”

***

They don’t notice Archie and Jughead arriving right away, but then the Great Hall goes uncharacteristically quiet and their group (Betty, Kevin, Josie and the Pussycats and Veronica; Joaquin and Kevin could not sit together for obvious reasons that Kevin hates) all look up at the same time to see them walking towards their table holding hands. 

“Yes!,” Valerie cheers, and the sound is enough to break the spell of silence that had settled over everyone. Reggie and Mason boom their approval, the sound distinct over the mass chaos of what sounds like the entire school cheering, and Betty crushes Kevin to her in a frenzied hug before turning around to snog Veronica enthusiastically. 

Archie has turned a delightful crimson, but he’s laughing, and there’s a befuddled expression on Jughead’s face, like he can’t believe the Hogwarts student body cared about his love life that much. Kevin grins at them both and motions them over when Jughead looks over at them. They make their last steps to the table and settle beside Kevin. He claps both boys on their shoulders, beaming. 

“You talked everything out, then?,” he asks, loud over the noise of the Hall as Headmaster Weatherbee yells at everyone to settle down with mixed results. Archie nods, unable to stop grinning. Jughead ducks his head, embarrassed but pleased. 

“Well then,” Valerie says, looking smug. “Pay up, losers.”

Their group watches, stunned, as Josie slides a Galleon into Valerie’s waiting palm with a grumble, and as Melody does the same. Then, the greatest thing happens.

Cheryl glides over, the picture of poise and dignity, and slides a Galleon into Valerie’s waiting palm. She winks at Archie and Jughead before walking back to the Slytherin table.

Veronica throws her head back and laughs.

***

The moment their group is free of classes, they collectively drag Jughead and Archie upstairs to the Room of Requirement, where Archie insists on thinking up the place this time, and they predictably end up in Pop’s. Joaquin meets them there, sliding into Kevin’s side of the booth. 

“So,” Betty starts, sitting up as straight as she can in Veronica’s lap on the booth across the aisle from them. “Operation Get Grundy Fired is back on.”

A muscle in Archie’s jaw tightens. “Yes.”

“You’re in, then?,” Veronica asks, voice kind. Archie nods.

“She’s a horrid professor,” Archie says simply. “And she’s bad for my emotional health, so….yes.”

“Good,” Betty says. “Because I’m not giving up, and neither should you. Veronica and I are delivering our letter tonight.”

“Alright, comrade,” Jughead says, grinning. Betty flushes. “Let’s do this.”

* * *

 

“Who did this?,” Professor Grundy hisses, looking worse for the wear, glasses knocked askew from her shaking.

Betty and Kevin exchange a look. Betty and Veronica delivered the letter the night before, but Kevin wasn’t aware this was part of the plan.

“This”, meaning the giant, flashing “I Know What You Did Last Summer” graffiti on the board. Some of the Muggleborns had snickered when they entered the classroom, so Kevin assumes it’s also some kind of Muggle reference. 

Professor Grundy stares at them all, one eye twitching. She really does look awful, hair limp and thin from stress, eyes wide and wild behind her glasses.

Betty is practically vibrating from glee.

“I will kiss whoever did this,” she whispers, and Kevin has to bite his lip to hold back a laugh. 

“This is unacceptable,” Professor Grundy continues. “I will be taking this to the Headmaster.”

“But Professor,” Betty asks in a sweet voice, eyes wide, “I’m sure this is all a misunderstanding.”

“What do you mean, Miss Cooper?”

Betty tilts her head. “Well, the message cannot be meant for you. What could you possibly have done this summer that would warrant such a prank?”

Professor Grundy goes very still as the whole class turns to hear her response, and she realizes she’s trapped. 

His best friend is  _ evil _ .

“Nothing, of course,” Professor Grundy manages to stutter out. 

“Of course,” Betty echoes with a nod. 

Betty and the professor stare at each other like two wolves waiting for the other to make its move. Professor Grundy breaks eye contact first. 

“Mister Mantle, go fetch the Headmaster, if you please,” she tells him, and Reggie obeys but not before sending Betty a suspicious look.

Professor Grundy takes a deep breath as the door shuts behind him. “In the meantime, open your textbooks on page 159.”

***

“Bloody brilliant!,” Jughead crows when they tell him. He practically somersaults onto the couch and right into Archie’s arms. Archie grunts on impact but helps Jughead arrange himself so they’re cuddling properly.

They’re in Veronica’s living room again because it is spacious enough to hold them all. Joaquin has been suspiciously silent through their recounting. Kevin nudges his thigh with his knee and raises an eyebrow in question when he looks over. Joaquin only smirks in response, which tells Kevin absolutely nothing.

“I wish I knew who did it,” Betty says, sighing with happiness. 

“Doesn’t really matter,” Archie says. “Do you have more letters to deliver?”

“Yeah, I do,” Jughead says. “I’m last.”

Archie inhales deeply. “Okay, and then what? What’s the next step?”

“We’ll see her response and if she doesn’t resign…,” Betty thinks it over, chewing her lip. “Either we find something else to scare her away with or we go straight to the Headmaster.”

Archie’s face clouds over. “Let’s call that Plan B.”

Nobody disagrees with him, although Betty and Jughead exchange concerned looks. Kevin really hopes this doesn’t blow up in their faces.

* * *

 

Something does go catastrophically wrong, but it’s not from the direction he expects.

“Dad?”   


His dad smiles at him, Auror badge gleaming. He finishes his conversation with the Headmaster and approaches Kevin. His hands clench around his books. 

“Hey son,” his dad says. “Don’t you have class now?”

“Uh, yes, Charms. I forgot my books for the next class and I don’t have time to go in between them so...” He laughs nervously. “What are you doing here?”

His dad gives him a searching look. “I was called in to investigate a harassment case.”

Kevin frowns. “Harassment? Did a Prefect call it in?” Wouldn’t he or Betty have heard?

“You know I can’t talk about it, Kevin,” his dad says. Kevin rolls his eyes.

“I’ll find out about it sooner  or later Dad. You might as well save me the trouble.”

His dad purses his lips and looks around the hallway. It’s pretty much empty now. Kevin is very late.

“Professor Grundy called it in,” he says finally. “Someone is leaving her messages.”

That absolute  _ hag _ . “Oh,” Kevin spits out after a moment. He’s furious, but his dad is already looking at him weirdly so he can’t say anything. Damn it all to hell. “What kind of messages?”

His dad levels him with a stern look. “I don’t know and I’m not telling you.”

“Dad-”

“No, Kevin, I have protocol to follow here,” his dad says. “I haven’t even met Professor Grundy, yet. You can wait.”

Kevin clenches his jaw. He can’t believe the  _ audacity _ -

“Kevin?” His dad is frowning. He has stayed silent for too long. “Are you-”

“I’ve got to go, Dad, I don’t want to be late! See you!” He speed-walks to the other end of the hallway and runs right into Joaquin when he turns the corner.

“Oof! What the f- oh hey.” Joaquin’s expression clears immediately once he sees it’s Kevin. “In a hurry?”

Kevin grabs his arm and hauls him away, as far from his dad as he can. They turn another corner and then go down the stairs, to the Charms classroom floor, Kevin tense and Joaquin silent.

They stop outside the Charms door. Joaquin raises his eyebrows.

“What’s up with the manhandling? Not that I don’t like-”

“My dad is here.”

Joaquin freezes. They stare at each other.

“Your dad is here,” his boyfriend repeats. 

“Yes.”

“Your dad. The Head Auror.”

“Joaquin!,” Kevin hisses. “Yes!”

Joaquin runs a hand through his hair. “Fuck.”

“Exactly,” Kevin agrees. “That-” he splutters, anger getting the best of him as he gestures at the Charms classroom door “actually reported our letters!”

Joaquin’s eyes widen. “He’s here for the letters?”

“I know Jughead says there’s no way anyone will trace us to them but Joaquin, my dad is good,” he says desperately. “What if-”

“No, hey,” Joaquin interrupts him, taking a hold of his shoulders. “Don’t think like that. We’ll be fine. We’ll figure something out.”   


* * *

“We’re fucked,” Betty moans succinctly.

Joaquin glares at her. “You really know how to motivate a guy.”

Betty doesn’t seem to hear him. She buries her face in Veronica’s lap.

“What are we going to do?,” Archie asks, face pale. His hold on Jughead’s hand seems almost painful, and he’s sitting up very stiff on Veronica’s couch. 

“We need to stay calm,” Jughead says. He had met the news with nothing more than a raise of his eyebrows. “This means Grundy is terrified, and thankfully does not suspect us. Not enough to tell Kevin’s dad anyway.”

“She is so sure she won’t get punished for what she did, it’s maddening,” Veronica says. “How can one person be so delusional?”

“Who gives a shit?,” Joaquin says, rolling his eyes. “We need to come up with a plan of attack. Maybe we should expose her now with law enforcement in the building.”

“How, though?,” Betty asks, chewing her lip. “Other than Archie’s confession and what Jughead saw, we have no evidence.”

“We’ll need her confession,” Kevin says. “And a true one at that, not coerced or anything.”

“What about a Veritaserum?,” Joaquin suggests. “That’s not illegal, right? Aurors use it all the time.”

Betty’s nose wrinkles. “It’s still unethical.”

“Yeah, so is statutory rape,” Joaquin says. Archie flinches. Joaquin sighs, face softening. “Sorry, dude.”

“It’s fine,” Archie says glumly. “But no, I don’t agree with using Veritaserum. I think I should make her confess.”

They all protest at the same time, Betty and Jughead the loudest. “Archie, no!”

“I don’t want you in the same room with her,” Jughead says through his teeth. “I’d go mad.”

Archie squeezes his hand. “I know, Jug,” he says softly. “But there is no one else that can make her confess. With you, with any of you, she’d just deny everything.”

“Hate to be the bad guy here, but Archie is right,” Joaquin says. “He can make her confess and we’ll just have to make your dad,” he pats Kevin’s thigh “appear at the right moment.”

Jughead looks thoughtful at that. “If we managed to get the timing right…”

“And maybe threw an Amplifying charm on that door…,” Veronica adds, eyes glinting.

“Your dad would have to take her confession seriously,” Betty concludes. She bounces in her seat. “Maybe this will work!”

“Archie, you sure you want to do this?,” Jughead asks.

Archie’s jaw tightens. “Yes,” he says firmly.

“Then, ladies and gents, we’re officially at the last stage of Operation Get Grundy Fired,” Jughead announces, rubbing his hands. “Let’s do this.”

***

“Kevin, this is not something a student should be concerned with-”

“Professor Grundy told me to fetch you, Dad.”

His Dad stops. Kevin had to get him from the Headmaster’s office, where the Aurors have set base, and it’s late, which makes Kevin’s involvement slightly unusual. 

“Why?,” his dad asks, predictably, looking suspicious, but starts walking again. The couple of Aurors that followed him down ask no questions, simply following his lead, walking down the hall with sure-sounding steps. 

Kevin tries to shrug as convincingly as possible. “I don’t know Dad. I was out doing rounds when she stopped me and told me to get you. She said it’s important. Looked pretty shifty, too.”

His dad sends him a scolding glance at the description but says nothing. Wow, ten points for Kevin. He’d like to thank the Academy, The Weird Sisters, the-

“Fine,” his dad says, cutting Kevin’s mental speech off. “But once you take me there, you go straight back to your rounds.”

“Yes, dad,” Kevin says agreeably. He doesn’t need to know he has no rounds tonight. 

They reach the floor Grundy’s office is on just in time for someone (either Betty or Joaquin, the only ones to have mastered silent spells in their group) to cast an Amplifying spell, allowing the Aurors and Kevin to listen to the conversation taking place in Grundy’s office.

“Archie, you need to calm down,” Grundy says. 

“I can’t,” Archie says, sounding on the verge of tears. “I can’t stay silent anymore, Professor. What we did was wrong, illegal-”

“You liked it,” Grundy says, so matter-of-fact, Kevin has to clench his fists. The Aurors exchange a look but don’t move, hooked on the conversation. 

“I didn’t,” Archie denies. “When you offered me a ride, I didn’t know your intentions. I thought you were being nice. And then you started touching me and I couldn’t-,” Archie chokes “I couldn’t stop it.”

Kevin’s dad inhales sharply, realization dawning on his face. 

“That’s because you didn’t have a problem with it,” Grundy says softly. Kevin feels sick. “Archie, tell me. Did your friends send the letters?”

Kevin’s dad looks at him. Kevin makes sure his expression is schooled into something akin to horror. He shakes his head vehemently.

“Who cares who sent the letters?,” Archie asks, sounding like he’s starting to get angry. “If you thought, if you really thought we’ve done nothing wrong, then you wouldn’t care about the bloody letters.”

“I think we’ve heard enough,” Kevin’s dad says, striding forward to knock on the door, just as the conversation lowers to a murmur, the spell being lifted.

Grundy opens the door, looking disgruntled, but her expression turns to one of fear as she looks at Kevin’s dad. His expression is probably thunderous. The other Aurors flank him, crossing their arms.

“Professor Grundy, I’m afraid you’re going to have to follow me to the Headmaster’s office. We have a lot to talk about.”

Grundy pales, but says nothing, following the Aurors. Kevin’s dad hangs back, looking down at Archie’s drawn face.

He sighs, eyes softening around the edges. “Kid, nothing about this is your fault. We’ll take care of Grundy. She won’t bother you anymore.”

Archie nods. His eyes are red-rimmed.

Their group chooses that moment to come out of the tapestries, Betty at the front. Kevin’s dad doesn’t look surprised.

“You lot sent the letters then?”

“Yes,” Betty says. “It was necessary, sir.”

Kevim’s dad purses his lips. “What you did is called “harassment”. But,” he adds, seeing Kevin readying himself to retort “I’m gonna let it go and you’re not going to talk about this to anyone. Got it?”

They nod. Joaquin hangs behind everyone else, eyes trained on Kevin. Kevin swallows. Jughead sends him an encouraging nod on his way to Archie. They grasp each other’s hands tightly.

“I’m going to need you to come with me, kid,” Kevin's dad tells Archie, looking regretful. “I know you must be tired, but your confession is needed. And we’ll have to contact a guardian, too.”

Archie nods. “Of course, sir.” His throat sounds hoarse. Kevin wonders how long he spent talking to Grundy before he managed to bring his dad up. 

“Dad,” he says before he loses his nerve. “There is something else.”

His dad looks weary and suspicious instantly. “What is it?”

“I want you to meet my boyfriend.”

His dad sighs, expression clearing. “Kevin, can’t that w-”

“No, it can’t wait, Dad. He’s right here. Joaquin?”

Joaquin steps forward hesitantly. He takes Kevin’s offered hand.

“Dad, this is Joaquin. Joaquin, this is my father, Head Auror Keller, first name Bad Ass.”

Kevin’s dad rolls his eyes and shakes Joaquin’s hand. “Nice to meet you, kid.” His eyes narrow on Joaquin’s face. He glances at Kevin. “How long have you been dating?”

Kevin and Joaquin glance at each other. “Since September,” Kevin reveals.

Kevin’s dad glances back at Joaquin. He still hasn’t let go of his hand. “And you didn’t tell me why?”

Kevin opens his mouth, then closes it. He takes a deep breath.

“Because I’m a Southside Serpent,” Joaquin says. Veronica and Betty widen their eyes in unison. Archie and Jughead exchange alarmed glances.

Joaquin is practically crushing Kevin’s hand, but his face is as calm as ever. He stares down Kevin’s dad, who has now let go of his hand. 

“Kevin-,” his dad starts, evidently gearing up for a fight. Kevin squeezes Joaquin’s hand in a silent warning.

“I’m in love with him, Dad,” Kevin says, cutting him off. “He’s a good person and he has helped me in more ways than one these past few months. Please give him a chance before assuming things.”

The Kellers stare at each other. Finally, Kevin’s dad looks at Joaquin again. “And you?,” he asks. “Are you in love with my son?”

“Painfully,” Joaquin admits. Kevin beams at him.

Kevin’s dad sighs. “Very well. We’ll talk more about this later. Come along, Archie,” he says, starting down the hall. Archie follows him with a clap on Kevin’s shoulder.

“That went well,” Jughead says after they can no longer hear footsteps. “He didn’t even try to hex you.”

“I think I peed in my trousers a little,” Joaquin reveals, shoulders slumping. Kevin facepalms.

* * *

They all gather in the Room of Requirement, laying down in various positions in Veronica’s living room even though it’s way past curfew. Kevin is tempted to sleep right here.

“It worked right?,” Veronica asks. Betty is already asleep, head in Veronica’s lap. Veronica threads her fingers through her hair distractedly. “Grundy is going away?”

“She should be,” Jughead says. He’s too wired to sit down so he’s pacing around the room and murmuring, his beanie thrown off for once. “We did well.”

“A win for the team,” Joaquin says in his flat tone. Kevin kisses his temple. 

Jughead straightens up like a dog listening to something far away as the door of the Room appears. Archie and his father, Fred, come through a moment later. Fred looks around curiously, eyes bright despite how evidently tired he is.

“Hey, guys,” Archie says. He looks pale, but not sad anymore. “This is my dad, Fred. Dad, you haven’t met Veronica and Joaquin.”

Fred nods at both of them. “Archie writes about you a lot.” His eyes get stuck on the very realistic chandelier hanging above them. “This is a lovely room.”

“Thank you, Mr. Andrews,” Veronica says. “It’s lovely to meet you.”

“Doesn’t this kind of break the Statute of Secrecy?,” Jughead asks. Fred’s mouth turns up at one corner. 

“Hello to you too, punk,” he says, hugging Jughead. Jughead hugs him back easily. “I’m glad you two made up. Thought you’d never get your heads out of your arses.”

“Dad!,” Archie hisses. Fred grins cheekily. 

“Oh come on, kid. Can’t an old man complain? I have a hell of a speech to give at your wedding-”

“Merlin, you’re embarrassing,” Jughead says, but he sounds fond. “So how did it go?”

Savage satisfaction lights up Fred’s face. “She’s officially fired from Hogwarts, her teaching permit is being taken away  _ and _ she’s going to serve two years in Azkaban.”

Jughead scowls. “Just two years?”

“Two years is already too much in Azkaban,” Joaquin points out. “She’ll be lucky if she comes out with sanity intact.”

“Cheer up, kiddo,” Fred says, clapping Jughead on the back. “You did it!”

Jughead sighs and grabs Archie’s hand. After a moment, he smiles at everyone in the room.

“Yeah, we did.”

***

“So, Joaquin, tell me about yourself.”

Joaquin glances at Kevin. Kevin smiles back encouragingly. They’re sitting in a booth in The Three Broomsticks, where his dad insisted on taking them before he had to go back to London. 

“Well, it all started when Kevin insulted me-”

Kevin scoffs. “Liar.”

“Let the boy finish, Kevin. Anyone who badmouths you to me is dear to my heart.”

Joaquin and his father share a laugh. Kevin groans but he can’t resist the smile tugging at his mouth. This school year is turning up to be the best of his life.


End file.
